Highland, Illinois, August 2, 2024 – Highland Machine is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The company was originally founded in 1944 by Claude Miles and CJ Zimmerman after purchasing a machine shop from Basler Electric and Manufacturing. There were several moves and expansions over the years, and now the company has grown to operate a 135,000 sq.ft. facility and serves a wide variety of industries, including medical, electronic, automotive, printing, aerospace, industrial equipment, and many others.
Today, Highland Machine is led by president and CEO Andy Sullivan, who is the third generation of his family to hold this position, following his father and grandfather. “I am beyond proud of the success that our business has achieved over the past 80 years,” says Andy. “We’ve grown immensely from humble beginnings while still retaining our core company values, product quality, and work ethic. I’m honored to be the president and CEO, giving me the opportunity to expand the business, and to continue the legacy of my family’s company.”
Once they outgrew their first machine shop that was purchased in 1944, Claude Miles and CJ Zimmerman built a new 6,000 sq.ft. facility and moved their team of 16 employees there in 1946. By the early 1960s, Highland Machine had designed its first sealed hydraulic lift for the beauty industry, a product that would become one of the staples of their business and moved to a 20,000 sq.ft. sheet metal fabrication building.
In 1967, they also began to manufacture forced hot air dryers for beauty salons. To meet increasing demand for their products and manufacturing capabilities, which included laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, machining, and powder coating, Highland Machine doubled their fabrication capacity in 1975.
After expanding to their current 135,000 sq.ft. space in 1994 with the addition of a 30,000 sq.ft. powder coating facility, Highland began taking on an even wider range of projects. Today they handle everything from electrical component cabinets to custom sheet metal enclosures, mobile patient isolation units for hospitals, and more. Their capabilities include fabrication, precision machining, in house engineering, powder coating, assembly, and inventory management services.
Andy Sullivan began working at Highland Machine in sales and account management and has spent time in each department of the company to better understand the business. He took over leadership of Highland this year, succeeding his father, Bill Sullivan. As president and CEO, he plans to grow their core business and expand their contract manufacturing projects in a wide variety of industries.
About Highland Machine:
Founded in 1944 as a machine shop, Highland Machine is devoted to providing excellent quality in sheet metal fabrication, design services, sheet metal assembly, powder coating, and inventory management for their customers. They serve a wide variety of industries, including medical, electronic, automotive, printing, aerospace, industrial equipment, and many others. Highland Machine is ISO 9001:2015 certified and provides their customers with a single vendor for the entire manufacturing process, from initial design and prototyping to final assembly and managing inventory.
For complete information, visit: www.highlandmachine.com
Download images at this link: https://www.highlandmachine.com/80-year-anniversary-gallery/